the hounds have decided ro ring bark our lovely ancient appletree this afternoon :(  :( is there anything we can do to save it? paint something on it or something?

Sam paint with Arbrex and cover it with sacking as soon as you can. It may just save it but it is a slim chance if the bark is of more than 50%.  Until you can do that may be a polly bag will help. Only consolation is it will make lovely logs for the winter, pesky hounds

The Bark is the part that carries the water,  so if they hve completey ring barked it, and not just taken off a thin layer then the part above it will die :( (you ring bark trees to kill them) The bit under where its ring barked will live and sprout out!!!
wthout seeing the damage it is impossible to know if your dogs have killed the tree or not LOL
Lea :) :)

yup......citicek has chewd off a ring about 6inches deep all around at about head height....then his 2 cousins helped by chewing off a lower limb. its been here 40 years so im very sad about it :(

hate to sy it ?B?UT, if wht you have said I have read right then I am afrid the tree WILL die :(
And if it does you really need to cut it down within the year to stop branches falling off and hitting dogs (starting small and getting bigger)
But saying that, if you want to save the tree, then cut it off where ring barked and let it spout out gain. Will take Years and YEARS to look anything like a teree again and only then if you have someone that knows what they are doing pruning it!!!. Better to take it out and start again :)
Lea :)